Faceplate



0- G. B. BENANDER 2,212,145

FACEPLATE Filed June 20. 1939 Inventor: George B. B'enander-,

IS ttornqg.

Patented Aug. 20, 1940 3 2,212,145

"UNITED STATES PATNT oFFlcE FACEPLATE George B. Benander, Oaklawn, R. 1., assignor to The Monowatt Electric Corporation, a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 20, 1939, Serial No. 280,123

Claims. (Cl. 229-242) The present invention relates to faceplates means employed for securing the faceplate in or covers for outlet boxes in which electrical position on an outlet box and with an opening wiring devices are mounted. l5 through which a wiring device mounted in the In wiring buildings a plurality of wiring debox is accessible. In the plate illustrated in Fig.

5 vices are often mounted adjacent one another in the opening [5 is rectangular and is adapted 5 a multi-gang outlet box with the devices arranged to receive the operating handle of a toggle switch in any one of various possible combinations of or an indicating jewel for a pilot lamp. It is apswitches and receptacles, or the like. The parent that the opening l5 may be made to switches may be of the push button or toggle type, accommodate any desired wiring device. While the receptacles may be either single or In accordance with. the present invention, the 10 double. To provide unitary multi-gang faceside panels II and I2 are frangibly connected plates to accommodate all the possible combinato the central portion of the plate in such a way tions of devices that may be mounted in two, that they may be broken oif cleanly and easily three and four gang boxes requires that the dealwhen it is desired to use a plurality of the single er carryavery large stock of plates and that the gang plates to form a faceplate for a multimanufacturer make large expenditures for dies ga g box. The side panels are connected to the and other equipment necessary for the manucentral panel ID by webs N5 of reduced crossfacture of such a large variety of plates. Ac- Section formed y Perating grooves l1 and cordingly, it is a primary object of the invention 8 Wh c l e o Opp faces of the plate. to provide single gang faceplates of standard e grooves I? On e re e o the plate e o size and of such construction that they may be tend into the rim l3 and terminate in notches combined to form a faceplate for an outlet box OteheS Weaken the rim l3 and aid of any number of gangs having any combination in obtaining a clean break through the edges Of of wiring devices mounted therein. the plate. The grooves [8 formed on the face of To this end, an important feature f the presthe plate have a substantially V-shaped cross- 25 out invention consists in providing a faceplate Section and coincide with the edge of the central having a central portion of substantially the panel l0 which also means that they e pp width of the opening in a standard single gang. the corresponding grooves l'l formed on the rear outlet box and having marginal portions frangiface Of the plate. Rearwardly extending ribs 20 o biy connected to each side thereof by a portion of having their outside faces flush With the edge 0f 130 reduced area, The marginal portions are of 3, the central panel reinforce the plate and form a. size to bring the faceplate to standard dimenrigid Surface wh ta e t eb efi Ofi sions. of the marginal panels and prevents the central For a further understanding of my invention, p l from being en during t p at onreference may be had to the following descrip- A p ty Of Similarly shape grooves l8a ex- 35 tion taken in connection with the accompanying tend longitudinally across the face of the plate drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a faceand serve t i t plat a pl asin app arplate embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear ance and aid in concealing the break between the View of the faceplate of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sec- Plates When y are assembled on a multitional view taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; g bOX as wn in Figs- 6 and 40 Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line In I have Shown & faceplate embodying 4-4 of Fig 1; Fig 5 h w th faceplate of the invention mounted on astandard single gang Fig. I mounted on a single gang outlet box, and Outlet bOX Comprising Side p e s 2 and a sub- ,Figs. 6 and 7 show faceplates embodying the in- Stantially D y Section 22 'D ded vention combin d to cover a tw a d th gang with knockouts 23 which permit the introduction box respectively. of the circuit wires into the box. The side panels Referring to the drawing a faceplate, prefer= are removably c d to the bo Section y y ably molded of suitable insulating material, such Suitable means (IlOt showm- AS Shown by t e as a phenolic condensation product, comprises a Portion broken away, each o the reinforcing central portion or panel l0 and side or marginal ribs engage t e e of the O adj e an panels H and ii. The sides and ends of the outer edge thereof. In Figs. 6 and 7, faceplates plate slope rearwardly from the frontfaceof m odying the invention are mounted on two the plate and terminate in a peripheral bearing and three gang outlet boxes respectively. In acsurface or rim IS. The plate is provided with cordance with the usual pra' ice, themultiple openings III for the reception of the fastening gang outlet boxes are formed by interlocking 55 single gang boxes which have had the necessary side panels removed. As shown in Fig. 6, a twogang faceplate'is formed by simply removing an opening l shaped to accommodate any d esired wiring device, and that the complete multigang plate comprises portions of a plurality of standard plates which may be arranged in accordance with the requirements of the particular installation.

From the foregoing, itisseen' that the invention makes it possible to forma cover plate for a multieoutlet box by selecting single gang plates having openings therein adapted to accommodate the desired wiring devices and breaking off the marginal portions as pointed out above. With this arrangement, it is necessary to manufacture only standard singlegang faceplates for the different types of wiring devices instead of making up two, three and four gang plates having openings therein for accommodatingwiring devices in various combinations. The particular construction disclosed insures a clean break between the central and marginal portions of the faceplate and a pleasing appearance of the multi-gang plate after the separate plates have been assembled on a multi-gang outlet box.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by- Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A faceplate for covering the open side of a single gang outlet box comprising a central portion having an opening therein for the reception of a portion of a wiring device and marginal side portions, at least one of said side portions being frangibly connected to said central portion and removable therefrom so that the remainder of said plate may form one section of a multi-gang faceplate.

2. A faceplate for covering the open side of a single gang outlet box comprising a central portion having a width substantially equal to the width of the open side of said outlet box and movable therefrom so that the remainder of said faceplate may form one section of a multi-gang faceplate.

3. A faceplate adapted to form a cover for one gang of a multi-gang outlet box comprising a central portion of substantially the width of the opening of a single gang outlet box, marginal side portions frangibly connected thereto by a section of reduced area, said plate being adapted to have at least one of said marginal portions broken away and the remainder mounted on a multigang outlet box adjacent a faceplate of similar construction, said plate having a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending grooves formed on the face thereof with one of said grooves lying along each of the connecting sections of reduced area whereby the joint between adjacent plates on a multi-gang box is obscured.

4. A faceplate comprising a central portion of substantially the width of a single-gang outlet box having a rearwardly extending rib adjacent each side edge thereof and a marginal portion extending from each side edge of said central portion, said marginal portion being connected to said central portion by a section of reduced area lying adjacent said rearwardly extending ribs so that either of said marginal portions may be removed by breaking along said section of reduced area.

5. A faceplate of molded insulating material having a central panel of substantially the width of a single-gang outlet box and a pair of marginal side panels, reinforcing ribs extending rearwardly from said central panel and along the opposite side edges thereof, said plate having grooves on the front and rear faces thereof adjacent the outer faces of said ribs co-operating to form a web of reduced cross-section for frangibly connecting said central and marginal panels.

GEORGE B. BENANDER. 

